The video was captured by the 10-year-old brother of one of the participants, who was in an adjoining room. He sent the video to his mother, who called the centre’s director. The director stopped the fighting and both teachers were fired.

The day care centre’s own cameras captured more than 30 minutes of fighting, KTVI reported.

In the lawsuit filed in January, one of the mothers said her son “continues to suffer injuries to his body, as well as mental anguish”.

State regulators increased inspections after the incident and follow-up visits found other violations, but nothing that merited closing the centre, KTVI reported.

A spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services did not respond to phone and email messages.